Biafra , officially the Republic of Biafra ,
was a secessionist state in south-eastern
Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to
15 January 1970, taking its name from
the Bight of Biafra (the Atlantic bay to its
south). [2] The inhabitants were mostly
the Igbo people who led the secession
due to economic, ethnic, cultural and
religious tensions among the various
peoples of Nigeria. The creation of the
new state that was pushing for
recognition was among the causes of the
Nigerian Civil War , also known as the
Nigerian-Biafran War.
The state was formally recognised by
Gabon, Haiti, Côte d'Ivoire , Tanzania and
Zambia. Other nations which did not give
official recognition but which did provide
support and assistance to Biafra included
Israel , France , Portugal , Rhodesia , South
Africa and Vatican City . [3] Biafra also
received aid from non-state actors ,
including Joint Church Aid , Holy Ghost
Fathers of Ireland, Caritas International ,
MarkPress and U.S. Catholic Relief
Services . [3]
After two-and-a-half years of war, during
which a million civilians had died in
fighting and from famine, Biafran forces
agreed to a ceasefire with the Nigerian
Federal Military Government (FMG), and
Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria. [4]
History
Secession
Main article: Nigerian Civil War
In 1960, Nigeria became independent of
the United Kingdom. [5] As with many
other new African states, the borders of
the country did not reflect earlier ethnic
boundaries. Thus the northern Sudan and
Sahelian Savannah region of the country
is made up of Muslim majority, while the
southern population was predominantly
Christian and Animist . Furthermore,
Nigeria's oil, its primary source of income,
was located in the south of the country.
[5]
Following independence, Nigeria was
divided primarily along ethnic lines with
Hausa and Fulani in the north, Yoruba in
the south-west, Ijaws in the south and
Igbo in the south-east. [5] In January
1966, a group of primarily eastern Igbo
led a military coup during which 30
political leaders including Nigeria's Prime
Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa ,
and the Northern premier, Sir Ahmadu
Bello, were killed. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the
President, of Igbo extraction, and the
premier of the southeastern part of the
country were not killed. [6][7][8]
In July 1966 northern officers and army
units staged a counter-coup. Muslim
officers named a Christian from a small
ethnic group (the Anga) in central
Nigeria, General Yakubu "Jack" Gowon , as
the head of the Federal Military
Government (FMG). The two coups
deepened Nigeria's ethnic tensions. In
September 1966, approximately 30,000
Igbo were killed in the north, and some
Northerners were killed in backlashes in
eastern cities. [9]
In January 1967, the military leaders and
senior police officials of each region met
in Aburi, Ghana and agreed on a loose
confederation of regions. The Northerners
were at odds with the Aburi Accord;
Obafemi Awolowo , the leader of the
Western Region warned that if the Eastern
Region seceded, the Western Region
would also, which persuaded the
northerners. [9]
After the federal and eastern governments
failed to reconcile, on 26 May the Eastern
region voted to secede from Nigeria. On
30 May, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu , the Eastern Region's military
governor, announced the Republic of
Biafra, citing the Easterners killed in the
post-coup violence. [5][9][11] The large
amount of oil in the region created
conflict, as oil was a major component of
the Nigerian economy. [12] The Eastern
region was very ill equipped for war, out-
manned, and out-gunned by the military
of the remainder of Nigeria. Their
advantages included fighting in their
homeland and support of most
Easterners. [13] The British and Soviet
support (especially militarily) of the
Nigerian government played a major role
in the outcome of the
war. [ citation needed ]
War
The FMG launched "police measures" to
annex the Eastern Region on 6 July 1967.
The FMG's initial efforts were
unsuccessful; the Biafrans successfully
launched their own offensive, occupying
areas in the Mid-Western Region in
August 1967. By October 1967, the FMG
had regained the land after intense
fighting. [9][14] In September 1968, the
federal army planned what Gowon
described as the "final offensive". Initially
the final offensive was neutralised by
Biafran troops. In the latter stages, a
Southern FMG offensive managed to
break through the fierce resistance. [9]
On 30 June 1969, the Nigerian
government banned all Red Cross aid to
Biafra; two weeks later it allowed medical
supplies through the front line, but
restricted food supplies. [14] Later in
October 1969, Ojukwu appealed to the
United Nations to mediate a cease-fire .
The federal government called for Biafra's
surrender. In December, the FMG
managed to cut Biafra in half, primarily by
the efforts of 3 Marine Commando
Division of the Nigerian Army , led by then
Colonel Benjamin Adekunle , popularly
called "The Black Scorpion", and later by
Olusegun Obasanjo . Ojukwu fled to Côte
d'Ivoire , leaving his chief of staff, Philip
Effiong, to act as the "officer
administering the government". Effiong
called for a cease-fire 12 January and
submitted to the FMG. [9] More than one
million people had died in battle or from
starvation. [15][16] Biafra was reabsorbed
into Nigeria on 15 January.
Geography
Satellite pictures of Biafra
Biafra comprised over 29,848 square
miles (77,310 km 2 ) of land,[17] with
terrestrial borders shared with Nigeria to
the north and with Cameroon to the east.
Its coast was on the Gulf of Guinea in the
south.
The former country's southeast borders
the Benue Hills and mountains that lead
to Cameroon. Two rivers flow from Biafra
into the Gulf of Guinea: the Cross River
and the Niger River . [18]
Climate
Biafra has a tropical climate with two
distinct seasons, dry and rainy. From
April to October the rainy season takes
place, with heavy rain and high humidity.
The heaviest rain occurs between June
and July with up to 360 mm (14 in) of
rain. The temperature of the region on a
clear day is 30 degrees Celsius (86
degrees Fahrenheit) high and 22 degrees
Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit) low.
The dry season starts in November and
ends in April. The lowest rain level
16 mm (0.63 in) in February. The
temperature at night reaches 20 °C
(68 °F) and in the day has a peak
temperature of 36 °C (96.8 °F). [19]
Language
The English language is spoken
throughout Nigeria and carried on into
the new state of Biafra. The predominant
language of Biafra was Igbo . [20] Along
with Igbo there were a variety of other
different languages, including Efik and
Ibibio.
Economy
An early institution created by the Biafran
government was the Bank of Biafra,
accomplished under "Decree No. 3 of
1967". [21] The bank carried out all
central banking functions including the
administration of foreign exchange and
the management of the public debt of the
Republic. [21] The bank was administered
by a governor and four directors; the first
governor, who signes on bank notes, was
Sylvester Ugoh . [22] A second decree,
"Decree No. 4 of 1967", modified the
Banking Act of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria for the Republic of Biafra. [21]
The bank was first located in Enugu, but
due to the ongoing war, the bank was
relocated several times. [21] Biafra
attempted to finance the war through
foreign exchange. After Nigeria
announced their currency would no
longer be legal tender (to make way for a
new currency), this effort increased. After
the announcement, tons of Nigerian bank
notes were transported in an effort to
acquire foreign exchange. The currency of
Biafra had been the Nigerian pound, until
the Bank of Biafra started printing out its
own notes, the Biafran pound. [21] The
new currency went public on 28 January
1968, and the Nigerian pound was not
accepted as an exchange unit. [21] The
first issue of the bank notes included
only 5 shillings notes and 1 pound notes.
The Bank of Nigeria exchanged only 30
pounds for an individual and 300 pounds
for enterprises in the second half of 1968.
[21]
In 1969 new notes were introduced: £ 10,
£5, £1, 10 /- and 5/-. [21]
It is estimated that a total of £115–140
million Biafran pounds were in circulation
by the end of the conflict, with a
population of about 14 million,
approximately £10 per person. [21]
Military
Roundel of the Biafran Air Force.
At the beginning of the war Biafra had
3,000 soldiers, but at the end of the war
the soldiers totaled 30,000. [23] There
was no official support for the Biafran
army by another nation throughout the
war, although arms were clandestinely
acquired. Because of the lack of official
support, the Biafrans manufactured many
of their weapons locally. A number of
Europeans served in the Biafran cause;
German born Rolf Steiner was a Lt.
Colonel assigned to the 4th Commando
Brigade and Welshman Taffy Williams
served as a Major until the very end of
the conflict. [24]
The Biafrans managed to set up a small
yet effective air force. The BAF
commanders were Chude Sokey and later
Godwin Ezeilo, who had trained with the
Royal Canadian Air Force. [25] Early
inventory included two B-25 Mitchells ,
one B-26 Invader (piloted by Polish WWII
ace Jan Zumbach, known also as John
Brown), a converted DC-3 and one Dove.
In 1968 the Swedish pilot Carl Gustaf von
Rosen suggested the MiniCOIN project to
General Ojukwu. By the spring of 1969,
Biafra had assembled five MFI-9Bs in
Gabon, calling them "Biafra Babies". They
were coloured green, were able to carry
six 68 mm anti-armour rockets under
each wing and had simple sights. The six
aeroplanes were flown by three Swedish
pilots and three Biafran pilots. In
September 1969, Biafra acquired four ex-
Armee de l'Air North American T-6Gs ,
which were flown successfully to Biafra
the following month, with another aircraft
lost on the ferry flight. These aircraft flew
missions until January 1970 and were
flown by Portuguese ex-military pilots.
[25]
Legacy
A child suffering the effects of
severe hunger and malnutrition
during the Nigerian blockade
The international humanitarian
organisation Médecins Sans Frontières
("Doctors Without Borders" came out of
the suffering in Biafra. During the crisis,
French medical volunteers, in addition to
Biafran health workers and hospitals,
were subjected to attacks by the Nigerian
army and witnessed civilians being
murdered and starved by the blockading
forces. French doctor Bernard Kouchner
also witnessed these events, particularly
the huge number of starving children,
and, when he returned to France, he
publicly criticised the Nigerian
government and the Red Cross for their
seemingly complicit behaviour. With the
help of other French doctors, Kouchner
put Biafra in the media spotlight and
called for an international response to the
situation. These doctors, led by Kouchner,
concluded that a new aid organisation
was needed that would ignore political/
religious boundaries and prioritise the
welfare of victims. [26]
In their study, Smallpox and its
Eradication , Fenner and colleagues
describe how vaccine supply shortages
during the Biafra smallpox campaign led
to the development of the focal
vaccination technique, later adopted
worldwide by the World Health
Organization, which led to the early and
cost effective interruption of smallpox
transmission in west Africa and
elsewhere. [27]
On 29 May 2000, the Lagos Guardian
newspaper reported that the now ex-
president Olusegun Obasanjo commuted
to retirement the dismissal of all military
persons who fought for the breakaway
state of Biafra during Nigeria's 1967–
1970 civil war. In a national broadcast,
he said the decision was based on the
belief that "justice must at all times be
tempered with mercy". [28]
Violence between Christians and Muslims
(usually Hausa or Fulani Muslims and
various Christian ethnic groups) has been
incessant since the end of the civil war in
1970. [ citation needed ]
In July 2006 the Center for World
Indigenous Studies reported that
government sanctioned killings were
taking place in the southeastern city of
Onitsha, because of a shoot-to-kill policy
directed toward Biafran loyalists,
particularly members of the Movement for
the Actualization of the Sovereign State of
Biafra (MASSOB). [29][30]
In 2010, researchers from Karolinska
Institutet in Sweden and University of
Nigeria, Nsukka , showed that Igbos born
in Biafra during the years of the famine
were of higher risk of suffering from
overweight, hypertension and impaired
glucose metabolism compared to controls
born a short period after the famine had
ended. The findings are in line with the
developmental origin of health and
disease hypothesis suggesting that
malnutrition in early life is a predisposing
factor for cardiovascular diseases and
diabetes later in life. [31][32]
Movement to re-secede
The Movement for the Actualization of the
Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB)
advocates a separate country for the Igbo
people of south-eastern Nigeria. [16] They
accuse the state of marginalising the Igbo
people. MASSOB says it is a peaceful
group and advertises a 25-stage plan to
achieve its goal peacefully. [33] There are
two arms to the government, the Biafra
Government in Exile and Biafra Shadow
Government. [34] The Nigerian
government accuses MASSOB of violence;
MASSOB's leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, was
arrested in 2005 and is being detained
on treason charges; MASSOB is calling
for his release. MASSOB is also
championing the release of oil militant
Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, who is facing
similar charges. [16] In 2009, The
MASSOB launched "the Biafran
International Passport" in response to
persistent demand by Biafrans in
diaspora. [35]
Meaning of "Biafra" and
location
Little is known about the literal meaning
of the word Biafra. The word Biafra most
likely derives from the subgroup Biafar or
Biafada[36] of the Tenda ethnic group
who reside primarily in Guinea-Bissau .
[37] Manuel Álvares (1526–1583), a
Portuguese Jesuit educator, in his work
Ethiopia Minor and a geographical
account of the Province of Sierra Leone,
[38] writes about the "Biafar heathen" in
chapter 13 of the same book. [39] The
word Biafar thus appears to have been a
common word in the Portuguese
language back in the 16th century.
Historical maps
Early modern maps of Africa from the
15th–19th centuries, drawn by European
cartographers from accounts written by
explorers and travellers, reveal some
information about Biafra:
1. The original word used by the
European travellers was not Biafra but
Biafara,[40][41] Biafar [42] and sometimes
also Biafares . [43]
2. The exact original region of Biafra is
not restricted to Eastern Nigeria alone.
According to the maps, the European
travellers used the word Biafara to
describe the entire region east of River
Niger going down to the Mount Cameroon
region, thus including Cameroon and a
large area around Gabon. The word
Biafara also appears on maps from the
18th century in the area around Gambia.

I pray that our wishes will come true in A peaceful way.......... Still proud to be igbo

ghost1718:
I pray that our wishes will come true in A peaceful way.......... Still proud to be igbo

AMEN

It is a laudable idea provided all Ibo men and women will be ready to leave Lagos without hesitation.